Georgetown’s electrical network is a “hazard” – businessman

Many entangled wires burdening the lamp posts which leads to stores and other establishments in Georgetown is causing a major electrical hazard in the capital city, according to one businessman.

On Saturday the owner of a popular enterprise on Regent Street contacted Guyana Times, raising the issue which has been plaguing the business community for some time. According to him, businesses within the area have been pulling a large quantity of power in their daily routine, which is causing an overload.
Between Avenue of the Republic and King Street, Georgetown, he indicated that there have been sparks emanating from the electrical setup.
“It has been an issue for some time…about a couple of months now but even the other businesses don’t seem to raise the issue. These stores are pulling a large quantity of electricity and there has to be a setup which can handle it. Not one hundred small wires running here and there with one post attached to 40 businesses,” he lamented.
The proprietor indicated that there have been requests for the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) to fix the issue, not just on Regent Street but other streets within the network where there is a lot of business activity. This issue, he noted, could develop into a bigger threat and even a fire.
“If it sparks like it does sometimes and a fire starts when nobody is there, we will be in serious trouble. These stores, as anyone could see, is close together. God forbid if a slightest fire starts then these stores and all the small salesmen will be affected,” he directed.
A few weeks ago, fire from an arson case gutted the Sachi General Store on Regent Street. Firefighters barely managed to save nearby businesses, which suffered severe water damages.